Bullet Brawl’s Third Most Prolific Winner GM Oleksandr Bortnyk Claims Seventh Title
Ukrainian Grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk added another feather to his cap by clinching his seventh title in the Bullet Brawl tournament on Saturday. Bortnyk outlasted top competitors, including Chess.com hyperbullet champion GM Andrew Tang and 21-time Bullet Brawl winner GM Daniel Naroditsky, to secure the victory and a $400 prize. The 14-year-old IM Andy Woodward also put up a strong challenge but settled for the $100 fourth prize.
Greece’s FM Anastasia Avramidou emerged as the top-performing women’s player, earning $100 for her efforts, while Cesar Frank Talledo Lagos retained the Community Brawl title with 75 wins.
The next Bullet Brawl is scheduled for Saturday, August 3, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.
Bortnyk’s dominant performance in the tournament saw him establish a significant lead early on, scoring an impressive 18.5/20 in the first quarter. Despite facing tough opponents like GM Arjun Erigaisi, Gata Kamsky, and Jose Ibarra, Bortnyk maintained his momentum and secured the victory. Notably, he managed to defeat the 3009-rated IM Kacper Drozdowski in just 11 moves, showcasing his exceptional skills.
In a thrilling finish, Bortnyk held off Tang to claim the title, with only a six-point gap separating the two players at the end of the event. The podium finishers, including Naroditsky, Tang, and Bortnyk, all have connections to the Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina.
The Community Brawl event also witnessed a close battle, with Lagos emerging victorious in the end.
Bortnyk’s seventh win in the Bullet Brawl tournament will soon be added to the all-time leaderboard, further solidifying his reputation as a top bullet specialist.
The Bullet Brawl tournament, known for featuring top GMs like Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, and Andrew Tang, offers an exciting platform for chess enthusiasts to showcase their skills in fast-paced bullet games. With a prize fund of $1,000, the tournament continues to attract top players from around the world.